Continued: Netlets for Saturday, Feb. 2

Jason Lewis' claim that the coming recession is caused by expectations that the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy won't be renewed (Counterpoint, Jan. 26) is simply delusional.

Lewis, and many other conservatives, are clearly grasping at straws now that their economic policies are being proven so wrong and harmful. The recession has a number of causes, but one lies right at the doorstep of conservative philosophy: the deregulation of the credit and financial markets. Unchecked capitalists are the biggest threat to capitalism itself, which we saw in the savings and loan bailout of the Reagan years and now again in the housing and mortgage crisis.

The conservatives' remedies for the recession are just as misguided. Tax cuts for the upper-middle class won't help the poor and working poor pay the rent or health care bills. What's needed is more funding for unemployment benefits, food stamps and heating assistance, along with long-term investments in infrastructure to create good jobs at good wages. But this would demonstrate the ability of government to help ordinary people, so such programs are anathema to Lewis and his cohorts. Heaven help us until a new administration -- and stronger Democratic leadership in Congress -- are in place to put forth real answers to our economic woes.

PAMELA J. SNOPL, MINNEAPOLIS

I have come to the realization that being a fan of the Minnesota Twins is a lot like owning a dog as the odds are greatly in favor of you saying goodbye to your old friend when age takes its toll or to your favorite player when he reaches a certain market value and it's off to heaven or the East Coast.

It seems to be emotion ill spent, and I believe I am done with it.

JIM MILLER, BEMIDJI, MINN.

I read Nick Coleman's Jan. 29 column, "Penny wise, pound foolish with dental care for needy," and caught a glimpse into my daughter's future.

My daughter is almost 12 years old and has Down syndrome. Knowing that preventive dental care is essential to good health, we've made sure she has regular appointments with a skilled pediatric dentist who is extremely patient and gentle with her. Three years ago, we cheered when she was finally able to get her teeth cleaned without a trip to the operating room.

Closing the Hennepin Care South clinic leaves one less option. That makes me nervous, because there weren't that many options on the table before the clinic was slated to close.

This makes the work of the Minnesota Health Care Safety Net Coalition - Oral Health Committee all the more important. This is a visionary group of dental professionals and community leaders, including Arc Greater Twin Cities, United Way and others who know that a lack of preventive dental care is a serious health concern. They have come together to figure out what to do to protect the health of children, people with disabilities and others who cannot afford the care they need.

The Health Care Safety Net Coalition's work is important -- all the more so at a time when the holes in Minnesota's safety net are growing bigger.

JULIE S. ANDERSON, ROSEVILLE

In December 2005 investigative reporter Seymour Hersh wrote that "a key element of [any] drawdown plans, not mentioned in the President's public statements, is that the departing American troops will be replaced by American airpower. The danger, military experts have told me, is that, while the number of American casualties would decrease ... the over-all level of violence and the number of Iraqi fatalities would increase."

Subsequently, there were five times as many U.S. air strikes in 2007 as in 2006, and there is every reason to expect this to increase in 2008. It is time for the media to report this so the people can factor this into their assessment of perpetuating this ill conceived and tragically misguided war.

THOMAS THISS, EXCELSIOR

The results this week in Florida show that frontrunners John McCain and Hillary Clinton pose a new challenge to America. While both are clearly experienced in government and life, neither appears to provide the kind of personal energy that goes with the nation's desire for change.

As Caroline Kennedy comments, there is an inspirational side of Barack Obama that clearly charges up audiences. The same might be said of John Edwards, and even Mike Huckabee.

In a time when we need to energize people about civic engagement and excite them about changing politics as usual, we appear to be getting thoughtful, but bland frontrunners. We need to remember that personal energy can be as important as oil. Oh well.

ROBERT SHUMER, EAGAN